Nowadays, there’s more competition than ever for burgeoning dental practices. Plus, it’s often difficult for some dentists to feel as though they can keep up with new technology and medical advancements. This can create pressure points within a business and limit the ability of practices to adjust and adapt.
Luckily, there are ways to be proactive within a dental brand. Whether you’re introducing modern amenities that sync up with CDC sanitation recommendations or you’re taking inspiration from already successful brands, here’s how you can keep a dental practice up to date with the latest standards.
Start by addressing your sanitation and cleanliness standards.
Before you start pushing to get more patients in the door, you need to ensure that you’re following CDC recommendations for social distancing, office cleanliness, and machine sanitation. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to limit your services or compromise the patient perks that you offer. In fact, even if you’re not currently using your waiting room to avoid overcrowding your practice, you can still offer beverages, snacks, and more to guests as long as you maintain sanitation standards for any machines and clean surfaces afterward.
For instance, if you’re using a water delivery service like Source water, it’s a great way to pivot from a public water system like a drinking fountain. This can help maintain water quality, avoid contaminants, and even promote better oral health. Plus, it’s easier to swap out a water supply now and again than it is to constantly clean all the surfaces and public water systems in your dental office. By addressing some of these standards, it’s easier to create a safe, welcoming dental practice that puts hygienist, patient, and dentist safety at the forefront. Ditch the public water supply, and invest in something easier to maintain.
Take examples from successful practices.
If you want to keep your dental practice current with the times, the easiest way is to see what your competitors are doing. If you’re based in NYC, see what some of the top-rated practices offer that you don’t. Since the field of dentistry continues to expand and develop, you can also invest in new methods to handle implants, dental crowns, and protection program options for gums, teeth, and oral health. Of course, this comes with a bit of a caveat: While it’s important to take inspiration from other successful brands, you don’t want to copy anyone’s business model outright.
For starters, not every business model will work in every market. A Greenwood Village office might have an approach that works for that brand’s target audience but doesn’t exactly translate to your local community. Also, if you start copying any marketing efforts to stay updated, search engines, consumers, and online communities will likely notice. Instead of following a checklist of first-time impressions, take examples from modern business models, and find ways to tweak them to meet your patients’ needs. It’s a better way to focus on public health while still providing focused, personalized service to everyone that visits your practice.
It takes time to find the right groove.
Even with all the precautions, partnerships, and marketing dollars in the world, it can still take time to help nudge your business in the right direction. Whether you’re offering the latest veneers, advanced teeth cleaning, or same-day crowns for first-time patients, there are ways to keep your business apprised of new industry developments and technology. Between addressing current standards first and looking to the competition for inspiration, you have the tools to give your business the added push that it needs.
